Chapter 126: Mr. Luo's Calculations

No wonder Jiang Yao had always found Feng Xiao’s voice so familiar.

Now, with the mention of Luo Yixian, it suddenly hit her—that was the exact same voice of the woman she had overheard flirting with Luo Yixian at the hot springs!

Jiang Yao sat bolt upright.

"A-Yao, what’s wrong?" Xie Yan nudged her from the side.

Jiang Yao grabbed her backpack. "Help me ask the boss for leave. I have an urgent matter to attend to today."

Watching Jiang Yao rush in and out like a whirlwind, Xie Yan scratched her head. "What’s gotten into her?"

As she walked, Jiang Yao searched for information on Feng Xiao. Sure enough, she discovered that Feng Xiao had only recently entered the entertainment industry and was signed to the same agency as Luo Yixian.

"Yiyi."

Jiang Yao immediately called Ye Yiyi.

"What’s wrong, A-Yao? Is your head hurting again?" Ye Yiyi asked, sounding nervous.

"No, I wanted to ask if there’s any way to contact Feng Xiao. I need to see her."

"Huh?" Ye Yiyi thought for a moment. "She’s right in the middle of a controversy, and everyone has their eyes on her. Why do you suddenly want to see her? Still, a friend of a friend knows her. If you really want to meet, I can try to make some calls."

In a small private booth at a café, the Ms. Feng who had spread rumors to frame He Yunqing sat across from them.

Even in such a concealed environment, she kept the brim of her baseball cap pulled low.

"Why are you looking for me? I’m busy," she said coldly.

Jiang Yao and Ye Yiyi exchanged a look. "Busy with what? Busy spreading rumors, or busy with extortion?"

"You!" Feng Xiao glared at them. "We’re all women, please have some decency. I know why you’ve come to see me, but I can only say this: I’m not doing this for money. Even if you offered me a fortune, I wouldn’t compromise!"

Jiang Yao looked at her stubborn expression. "Then what do you want? Fame?"

"You... what did you say?"

"Ms. Feng, there’s no need to play dumb here. Let me mention a name and see if you understand," Jiang Yao said, taking a slow sip of her coffee, emphasizing every word: "Luo Yixian."

Feng Xiao’s expression changed instantly. "You... why are you bringing him up out of nowhere?"

Watching her reaction, Jiang Yao felt even more certain of her suspicions.

"Let me guess how things really are," Jiang Yao said slowly. "Luo Yixian and He Yunqing are competitors for many resources, but unfortunately, he’s inferior to He Yunqing in every aspect, so he can’t win through fair competition."

"You’re talking nonsense! How is Yixian inferior to He Yunqing?!" Feng Xiao blurted out in defense.

Jiang Yao stopped and looked at her, unable to help but smile.

Realizing she had let something slip, Feng Xiao bit her lip and hung her head in guilt.

"So, Mr. Luo holds a grudge. He figured that if He Yunqing were ruined, all the resources would be his, so he kept looking for faults in He Yunqing," Jiang Yao continued. "But he didn't expect that He Yunqing lives such a clean life—he follows the law, keeps a proper distance from his female fans, and doesn't even smoke."

"Mr. Luo couldn't find any dirt, so he got desperate and decided to fabricate some. What’s the most effective kind of dirt to invent these days?" Jiang Yao mused. "Naturally, something involving romantic relationships. So, he found you, arranged for your entry into the entertainment industry, and planned for you to frame him at the right moment to incite public outrage. That way, He Yunqing would never be able to recover."

Feng Xiao’s face turned deathly pale.

"What are you spouting? Saying I framed He Yunqing? Aren't you just framing Yixian yourself?"

"Look at you, 'Yixian this, Yixian that,' you sound so intimate," Jiang Yao said, gently stirring her coffee. "Ms. Feng, what are you even gaining from this? What did he promise you? That once the job is done, he’ll make you his official girlfriend and announce your relationship?"

Feng Xiao gripped her fingers. "I have things to do. I’m leaving."

Jiang Yao shot a glance at Ye Yiyi.

Ye Yiyi reached out and blocked Feng Xiao’s path.

"What are you doing?"

"I just want you to see something clearly."

As she spoke, Ye Yiyi slowly rolled up her sleeves, revealing bruises of varying depths on her arms. Some had been covered with makeup, but others were impossible to hide.

"This..." Feng Xiao stared at Ye Yiyi in shock. "How?"

Ye Yiyi gritted her teeth. "Luo Yixian did this."

Feng Xiao sneered. "Ha, a sob story? I’m not buying it."

"You’ve already started to believe it," Jiang Yao said, standing up and walking over to Feng Xiao. "Everything he tells you now sounds perfect, but who can say what will happen in the future? The injuries on Ye Yiyi are the best proof. Didn't he once make those same vows to her? Ms. Feng, I urge you to turn back before it’s too late. Don't sink any deeper."

Feng Xiao bit her lip and remained silent.

Jiang Yao added some sugar to Feng Xiao’s coffee, stirred it gently, and pushed it toward her. "Well?"

Feng Xiao’s eyes turned red. "If it were possible to turn back, who would want to sink deeper?"

Jiang Yao and Ye Yiyi exchanged a confused look.

Feng Xiao thought for a moment, then pulled up her own sleeve. Her fair arms also bore marks, though fewer than Ye Yiyi’s.

The three of them fell into an eerie silence.

"I didn't want to listen to him either. At first, he treated me decently, but as time went on, he started hitting me. I wanted to leave him, but he has nude photos of me and threatened to send them to my parents if I didn't obey."

"My parents are ordinary people, quite conservative, and they have heart conditions. If they saw..." Feng Xiao choked up.

"That’s when he told me that if I helped him this one time, he would let me go. Not just let me go, but give me a sum of money, so I..." Feng Xiao took a breath. "Please, you must not tell him I told you this. If you do, he won't let me go!"

Jiang Yao sighed softly.

The seemingly hateful Feng Xiao had her own hidden suffering.

Jiang Yao looked at Ye Yiyi, feeling a sudden surge of sympathy for Feng Xiao.

"Don't worry, he won't have the chance to hurt you again. I have a way," Jiang Yao comforted her. "If I can send him to prison, would you dare to tell the truth in front of all the media?"

"I..." Feng Xiao hesitated.

"Isn't it time to return justice to the innocent? Do you realize that one word from you could ruin a person’s reputation for the rest of their life?"

Feng Xiao thought for a long moment and nodded. "Okay. As long as you can ensure he can never hurt me again, I will tell the truth and apologize to He Yunqing!"